Ornamenting surfaces.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON B. GOLDSMITH, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ORNAM ENTING su RFACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,295, dated August22, 1899.

, Application filed July 12, 1898. Serial No. 685,758. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON B. GOLDSMITH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ornamenting Surfaces, of

which the following is a specification.

pearance.

My invention has reference to improvements in the process of producingornamental surfaces in imitation of marble, malachite, jasper, and otherlike ornamental stones or in imitation of costly woods, antique ivory,or other materials having a variegated ap- The process is carried out bymeans of pyroxylin varnishes; and the invention has two objects inviewfirst, the production upon any solid substancesuch as paper,leather, cloth, wood, metal, plaster-ofparis, or any other solidsubstance-of a sur face having the appearance-of ornamental stones,woods, &c.', and, second, the production of an independent film or sheetof the same character capable of being used independently or asveneering for wood, metal, or other articles.

Prior to this invention I have ornamented surfaces with varnishes bycovering the surface ofany article with superimposed layers of varnishesof such consistency that they would still flow spontaneously and thenplacing or moving the article in such fashion that by the spontaneousflow of the varnishes lines of variegated forms and shades wereproduced. The process thus briefly indicated I have described andclaimed in Letters Patent No. 506,394,, granted to me on October 10,1893, and while this process yielded excellent results the effectproduced was entirely dependent upon the placing or moving of thearticle in such position or positions as to permit the two or morevarnishes to flow toward the lower levels. In all cases in the practiceof that old process it was necessary to produce currents of thevarnishes, and from the fact that the currents of the differentvarnishes would ordinarily have different speeds they would be preventedfrom mixing to any considerable extent, and this would result in r theornamental appearance of the article.

My present invention is based upon a phenomenon which I observed and theutilization of which enables me to produce far superior ornamentalefiects than those produced by the practice of the invention set forthin my aforesaid Letters Patent. The phenomenon which I observed wasthis: Then a layer of pyroxylin varnish, by which term I mean to includeall solutions containing pyroxylin, is produced upon the horizontalsurface of a solid body, and if without allowing this layer of pyroxylinvarnish to dry another layer of pyroxylin varnish is imposed, then thewhole surface gradually assumes a mottled aspect, which shows that theupper surface layer of varnish has broken up and lost its continuity andthat through these breaks the lower layer of varnish has protruded. Whenthe whole varnish coating is nowallowed to dry, the surface of thearticle is permanently ornamented, the ornamentation being of apeculiarly pleasing character; but the design upon the surface can begreatly variegated and the ornamental efiect greatly heightened byinclining or moving the article in various ways, so as to allow the vastnumber of diderentlyshaped streaks, spots, or islets to form currentswhich interfere with each other in a great variety of ways, and thuschange the spontaneously produced mottled designs into linear designs.

I have found that the spontaneous breaking up of the upper layer ofvarnish only takes place when it is superimposed upon the lower layerwhile the latter is still in a fluid condition.

It will now be evident that I can produce an ornamental surface in agreat variety of ways, but that all these ways have this in common: thatthere is first produced upon the surface of a solid body, or upon aportion of the surface of asolid body, alayer of pyroxylin varnish, andthat upon this layer, while it is still in a fluid condition, anotherlayer of pyroxylin varnish is superimposed. The moving of the body orthe placing of it in different positions while the varnishes arestillstood, and it can be easily followed by supposing that suchornamentation is to be produced, for example, upon a sheet of paper. Inthis case the paper may be placed upon a table and an approximatelyuniform coating of pyroxylin varnish is applied, and in doing so thetable-top may be fixed in any position and particularly it may be fixedin a horizontal position.

By the term pyroxylin varnish I mean to cover any varnish containingpyroxylin. Thus, for instance, a varnish containing in solution, inaddition to pyroxylin, camphor or its equivalents or essential oils ornondrying oils, or also any of the gums or resins or oils which arehabitually used for varnishes, is still apyroxylin varnish. Thisfundamental layer of varnish may or may not be colored, according to theultimate result desired; but if it is colored then the surface of thepaper should first have received a preparatory coat of colorlesspyroxylin varnish which when dried will cause the colored varnish toadhere well. In some instances this preparatory coat may also becolored. Im mediately upon the application of the fu ndamental layer ofpyroxylin varnish, and while it is stillinafluidcondition,there isapplied upon it a layer of colored pyroxylin varnish. During thisprocess it will be observed that within a shorttime after theapplication of the second layer of varnish the latter loses itscontinuity, breaks up into variously-distributed and variously-shapedpatches,between which the substance of the fundamental layer ofpyroxylin varnish protrudes, thus forming spontaneously ornamentaldesigns. In order to vary and heighten the ornamental effect, thetable-top may be slowly inclined in one or a number of ways, or it mayberotated and at the same time variously inclined immediately or very soonafter the application of the top layer of colored varnish. When this isdone, each spot, patch, or islet which has spontaneously formed or whichis in the process of spontaneous formation flows, each with its ownparticular speed, toward the lower levels of the paper, each of thesecurrents interfering, more or less, with the other proximate currentsand forming innumerable devious lines of continuously-varying width,each blending more orlesswith the next adjacent lines.

In this process it is unimportant in what manner the two varnishes arebeing superimposed one upon the other, and neither of them need beapplied over the whole surface. Thus in the case of the sheet of paperwhich I have assumed in the foregoing description as a specimen one ofthe varnishes may be applied to some portion or portions of the sheetand the other varnish to other portions of the surface, and the tablemay then be variously inclined or moved, so as to cause one of thevarnishes to flow over the other, and vice versa.

formation of designs when the practice set forth in my aforesaid LettersPatent is followed will now be apparent. In accordance with the oldprocess where the varnishes used are not pyroxylin varnishes and wheretherefore the superimposed layer of varnish does not spontaneouslybreakup into a multitude of patches, spots, or holes no design at all isobtained unless there are differences of level between different pointsof the surface, so that the varnishes may flow toward the lower points.\Vhen thus flowing, the whole mass of each varnish layer is running as acoherent entity; but the portions which find a steeper grade flow fasterthan the others, and thus the different varnishes are forced to break upinto more or less marked lines. In accordance with the present process,however, an or- 5 namental design is obtained without difference oflevel; but if such difference of level is-provided then each patchconstitutes a separate center of motion, each following its path ofleast resistance, and thus a far greater variety of lines or veins isproduced.

In the practice ofmyimproved process the fundamental layer of proxylinvarnish may be colorless or may be colored; but the superimposed layerof pyroxylin varnish must in most cases be colored in order to producewellmarked ornamental designs. It will also be apparent that I am notconfined to the use of two layers of varnish,since it is quitepracticable to use three or more superimposed layers ofvariously-colored varnishes all applied in rapid succession and whilethe lower layers are still in a fluid condition. According to the choiceof colors the ornamental designs produced will be imitations ofdifferent ornamental stones, woods, &c.

When the ornamentation is to be produced upon flexible material-such aspaper,leather, or textile fabricsit is of advantage and oftenindispensable to mix a sufficient quantity of oil, such as linseed-oilor castor-oil, with the varnishes in order to prevent the breaking ofthe ornamental coat. This is particularly useful in the case of themanufacture of wallpapers or so-called marbleized papers used inbookbinding, for which purposes the process here described is speciallyadapted.

After the varnishes have thoroughly dried the surface may be given ahigher gloss in any of the well-known ways, as by burnishing or buffingor by the application of any of the well-known gloss varnishes, as iswell understood by those skilled in the art. I

It will be understood that while one mode of applying the varnish hasbeen described a number of other modes may be practiced for coating thewhole or port-ions of the surface of an article with superimposed layersof pyroxylin varnishes.

My invention comprises, as hereinbefore stated, the production ofindependent ornament-a1 films or sheets, which, if so desired, may bemade flexible by the use of oils, as above set forth. When suchjanindependent sheet or film is to be made, it is advisable to incorporatecamphor or its equivalent with the varnish, the object of same being togive the sheets produced therefrom the property ofsoftening when heated,which allows of their being shaped to any desired form, as well asembossed and worked'in the arts in a great variety of ways. In this casethe process followed is precisely the same as has been described for theproduction of an adhering film of ornamentation except that a base ofglass, metal, or other substance from which the film can be removedafter it has dried is used. I thus obtain an ornamental film composed ofpartly-interwoven strata of difierently-colored pyroxylin varnisheswhich are sufficiently flexible to prevent cracking or breaking whenmanipulated with ordinary care and which, if so desired, can be appliedlike ordinary veneering to curved or even angular surfaces or can beused independently for a great variety of purposes.

While this process has been described as being carried out. by means ofpyroxylin varnishes for all the layers, I have found by experiment thatsimilar results are produced if pyroxylin varnish is used in con junotion with another varnish. I have also found that pyroxylin varnishcan be applied first and the other varnish over it, or vice versa, butthat in order to produce the peculiar characteristic effects, as well asto have the coating dry in a smooth film, at least one of the varnishesmust be pyroxylin varnish. Any ordinary varnish will answer inconjunction with pyroxylin if it is of such character that it will notprecipitate the pyroxylin so rapidly as to prevent its flowing.

I prefer to use varnishes that do not dry very rapidly. Instead of whatis usually known as a varnish I can use any solution or emulsion of acolor with a vehicle. As specimensof such vehicles I would mentionalcohol, acetone, (and other ketones,) amyl acerate, and mixtures ofthese among themselves as well as with other liquids, such as benzene,turpentine, and oils.

Having now fully described my invention, whatI claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of ornamenting articles which consists in coating thesame with superimposed layers of varnishes of difierent colors, one ofwhich varnishes at least is a pyroxylin varnish, and the under layer ofwhich is still fluid when the upper layer is applied, substantially asdescribed.

2. The process of ornamenting articles which consists in coating thesame with superimposed layers of varnishes of different colors, one ofwhich varnishes at least is a pyroxylin varnish, and the under layer ofwhich is still fluid when the upper layer is applied, and then placingor moving the article so as to cause the varnishes to flow in one orseveral directions, substantially as described.

3. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same pyroxylin varnish and, while the latter is still in a fluidcondition, superposing thereon a colored varnish or varnishes,substantially as described.

4. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same pyroxylin varnish and, while the latter is still in a fluidcondition, superposing thereon a colored varnish or varnishes, and thenplacing or moving the article so as to cause the varnishes to flow inone or several directions, substantially as described.

j 5. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applyingupon the same colored pyroxylin varnish and while the latter is still ina fluid condition, superposing thereon a colored varnish or varnishes,substantially as described.

6. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same c'olored pyroxylin varnish and while the latter, is still in afluid condition, superposing thereon a colored varnish or varnish es,and then placing or moving the article so as to cause the varnishes toflow in one or several directions, substantially as described.

7. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same pyroxylin varnish and, while the latter is still in a fluidcondition, superposing thereon a colored pyroxylin varnish or varnishes,substantially as described.

8. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same pyroxylin varnish and, while the latter is still in a fluidcondition, superposing thereon a colored pyroxylin varnish or varnishes,and then placing or moving the article so as to cause the varnishes tofiow in one or several directions, substantially as described.

9. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same colored pyroxylin varnish and, while the latter is still in'afluid condition, superposing thereon differently-colored pyroxylinvarnish or var: nishes, substantially as described.

10. The process of ornamenting articles, which consists in applying uponthe same colored pyroxylin varnish and, while thelatter is still in afluid condition, superposing thereon differently-colored pyroxylinvarnish or varnishes, and then placing or moving the article so as tocause the varnishes to flow in one or several directions, substantiallyas described.

11. As an article of manufacture, an ornamental film composed ofinterwoven strata of differently-colored dried varnishes, one of

